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Form Field Types

This article provides a detailed overview of the various field types available when building a custom form. Its purpose is to help administrators understand the function and configuration options for each field, enabling them to create effective and user-friendly forms.

Field Types and Options

The field types described below are the building blocks used within the form creation tool. No special system configuration is required to use them. For a complete guide on building a form, please refer to the Creating a New Form article.

Checkbox Group

Used to allow a user to select one or more options from a list.

  • Enable “Other”: Allows the user to input a custom value not present in the options list.

  • Options: The list of choices for the user. Options can be pre-selected for the user by enabling the checkbox next to the desired item.

Date Field

Used to get a date from the user, who will be presented with a calendar date picker.

  • Type: The type of date field.

  • Min / Max: The minimum and maximum allowed dates that can be selected.

  • Step: The date increment steps.

Header

Used to display a header or subheader on the form. This is a display-only field.

  • Label: The header text that will be displayed.

  • Type: The header size (e.g., H1, H2).

Number

Used to accept numerical digits only.

  • Type: The type of number field.

  • Min / Max: The minimum and maximum allowed numerical values.

  • Step: The amount the value increments or decrements when using the arrow controls.

Paragraph

Used to display a block of text on the form, such as for instructions. This is a display-only field.

  • Content: The paragraph text to be displayed.

Radio Group

Used to allow a user to select only one option from a list.

  • Options: The list of choices for the user. One option can be pre-selected by enabling the corresponding radio button.

Select Menu

Presents a drop-down list of options. This is ideal for questions with many choices to save screen space.

  • Allow Multiple Selections: Enable this to allow the user to select more than one option (making it function like a Checkbox Group).

  • Options: The list of choices for the user.

Text Field

Used to allow a user to input a single line of text.

  • Type: Specifies the kind of input required (e.g., Text Field, Password, Email, Tel).

  • Max Length: The maximum number of characters allowed.

Text Area

Similar to a Text Field, but provides a larger, multi-line area for text input.

  • Max Length: The maximum number of characters allowed.

  • Rows: The initial height of the text area in rows/lines.

Best Practices & Considerations

  • Choose the right selection tool for the job. Use a Radio Group for single-choice questions with few options. Use a Checkbox Group for multiple-choice questions. Use a Select Menu when you have many options to present in order to save screen space.
  • When using a Text Field, select the appropriate Type (e.g., Email, Tel). This helps ensure data integrity by validating the input and provides a better user experience by showing a specialized keyboard on mobile devices.
  • Use Header and Paragraph fields to structure your form.
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